Debit cards are one of the marvels of the modern banking industry. If you want to access the cash in your checking account, you don’t have to visit an ATM to take out cash or dig through your purse or pocket to find a pen so you can write a check. Instead, you can tap or swipe and pay for a purchase instantly — with no risk of going into credit card debt.
But there’s at least one situation where you should never use your debit card to pay. Let’s take a closer look at where debit cards fall short and see how a credit card is superior — in at least this one way.
Don’t shop online with your debit card
If you’re shopping online, opt for a credit card over a debit card. Here are a few reasons why.
Debit cards are tied to your bank account
If your debit card information is exposed in a data leak from an online retailer, the money in the bank account it’s tied to is at risk. Depending on when you discover you have a problem and report it to your bank, you could end up losing all the money in your account.
Credit cards, on the other hand, give you access to borrowed money that you must pay back — not yours.
Credit card fraud protections are stronger
The best credit cards offer $0 fraud liability. This means that if your information is stolen and someone makes a bunch of unauthorized charges on your card, you won’t be responsible for them.
Want perks like this? Check out our favorite credit cards for consumers just like you.
A credit card issuer might have your back in case of trouble
Some credit card issuers have purchase protections. If an item you buy online (or anywhere) with the card is lost or stolen, or even gets broken, you can ask the issuer for help and possibly get your money refunded or the item repaired. Or if you order something and it never arrives, if the seller is unwilling to help, your card issuer can refund your money.
Credit cards require careful management
There are reasons you might want to use a debit card in your regular life, and trust me, I get it.
For example, you might not want to expose yourself to the possibility of credit card debt, and this is valid. The average interest rate for credit cards that are subject to interest was 23.37% as of August 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
That’ll serve to make a credit card balance incredibly expensive over time. If you’re not confident you can avoid overspending, don’t open yourself up to that temptation.
Credit card benefits can outweigh their potential drawbacks
That said, credit cards offer perks that debit cards can’t touch, besides greater fraud protections and other benefits for online shopping. For starters, using them responsibly can boost your credit score and make it easier and cheaper for you to borrow money in the future.
Focus on making on-time payments (ideally paying your balance off in full every month) and keeping your balances low relative to your credit limit (ideally under 30%) to build a strong credit score.
If you opt for rewards credit cards (and hey, why wouldn’t you?), you can earn points, miles, or cash back on your everyday spending. One of my own favorite rewards cards pays 6% cash back on groceries, and thanks to my high spending in this area, I’ve earned about $400 in cash back per year over my last two years with the card. That’s real money!
If you’d rather not track earning rates on multiple cards, you can opt for just one — just make sure it’s a solid flat-rate rewards card earning 1.5% or 2% on all your purchases.
A debit card still has a place in your life — just don’t use it for online shopping. Opt for a good credit card instead.
